Apparatus for forming identification badges



July 31, 1945. E. B. GAGE 2,380,746 v APPARATUS FOR FORMING IDENTIFICATION BADGES Filed Dec. 12, 1942 lllllllllllnnlllllll' uvvnv TOR Patented July 31, 1945 APPARATUS FOR FORIHING IDENTIFICATION BADGES Edwin B. Gage, Montclair, N. J assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 12,1942, Serial No. 468,853

6 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for forming identification badges, particularly for use in manufacturing plants.

It is important at all times, particularly now, that employees, for example those of defense plants, visitors or other persons be provided with sufiicient identifying means to indicate, at a glance, that they are the proper p rsons carrying such identifying means, and to further indicate the hours they are entitled to be present as well as the areas in which they may be present, and other limitations.

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for constructing identification badges which are highly variable in the identifying meansv they display.

With this and other objects in view, the invention comprises an apparatus including a nest with projecting fingers for use in accurately assembling sections having difi'ering peripheral contours which are notched to receive the fingers I when assembled in the nest.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the apparatus which is adapted for removable mounting on a securing device;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus shown in conjunction with the securing device;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus, this view being taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1; v

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are front elevational views of groups of identifying members;

Fig. 7 is an assembly of certain of the identi-v fying members together with a personal photograph of an employee to be identified thereby;

Fig. 8 is a front elevational view of the comleted identifying badge, and

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view of the identifying badge, this view being taken along the line 9--9 ofFig. 8.

, Attention is now directed to the drawing. particularly Figs. 1, 2 and 3, which illustrates the apparatus as being formed with a main body ll adapted to rest upon a base ll of a securing or stapling device indicated generally at ii. A detailed description of this securing device will not I be given, "as it is commercially known, its purpose being to singly eject staples through the reciprocation of a unit. II and force the staples through materials disposed therebeneath, a

clinching member I5 functioning to bend the ends of the staples toward each other. The body I0 is provided with legs or side members I! which extend downwardly the full width of the base II and serve to align the body with the base. Other legs or downwardly projecting integral portions l8 at the back of the body It) serve also in locating the body on the base and limit the forward movement of the body thereon. An integral handle 19 projects upwardly from the base and is employed in moving the apparatus onto and off of the stapling device. At such times the legs serve as runners for the apparatus.

Attention is now directed to a cavity 20 which is of a. desired depth as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, this cavity being of a general contour to receive identifying members together with a photograph 24 shown respectively in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7. Pro; jecting fingers 25 extend into the cavity at the given positions and cooperate with recesses 26 of the identifying members. The recesses in the identifying members of Fig. 6 are not illustrated due to the fact that the major portions thereof have been broken away. Attention is again directed to -the apparatus, particularly a cutaway portion 28 which is adapted to straddle the clinching member of the stapling device. Also, the walls of the body adjacent the cutaway portion 28 extendoutwardly at angles as indicated at 29.

Attention is now directed to the identifying membersv and the photograph. The photograph is of the head of the person to be identified. As a part of this photograph, there may be included the employees number, indicated at 30. It will be noted that the photograph including the number is substantially half the length of the area of the cavity 20. and does not extend the full width thereof, leaving spaces at each side thereof for theobservation of other identifying means.

The lower portion of the photograph 24 is provided with a tab or projection 3| (Fig. 7) forming an. interlocking connection with one of the identifying members. Such an identifying member is shown in Fig. 4. Before describing the identifying members, it should be understood that they are too numerous to disclose separately, and

for this reason selected identifying members are tab 3| of the photograph 24.

cated therein through the aid of the fingers 25.

Attention is first directed to Fig. 4, which shows identifying members 32 and 33, the member 32 terminating at line 34 and the member 33 terminating at line 35. The member 33 is provided with an elongated aperture 36 for receiving the If desired, the identifying member 33 may be employed without the identifying member 32 and may be of any one of a number of solid colors or combinations thereof, depending upon the hours at which the wearer may be present. Also, this identifying member may be of a color to indicate not only the hours but the authority vested in the wearer. With the presence of the identifying member 32 of a color different from the color of the identifying member 33, the former may indicate the hours, whereas the bar-like portion of the member 33 appearing beneath the member 32 may indicate authority. Each identifying member is provided with its recesses 26 which, regardless of the identifying member selected, will always register when disposed in the cavity 26.

In Fig. 5 another group of identifying members 31, 38 and 39 is illustrated. These members may be of any desired colors, most desirably of different colors so that the pie-shaped portions thereof will lie beneath the line 35 of the identifying member 33 when in assembly (Fig. '1). With the identifying members 31 and 38, an identifying member 33 is always employed, it being, if desired, of the same color as the members 31 and 38 and/or the member 39, or of a different color. In this instance there will appear, below the identifying member 33, as shown in .Fig. '7, three pie-shaped portions all of different colors. If desired either one of the members 31 or 33 may be used with the member 38 or a member simulating the contour of both members 31 and 39 may be of any given color and used with the member 38. v

In Fig. 6 another group of identifying members is shown, the outer member, of which only a fragmentary portion is illustrated as at 40, having a substantially square notch 4| out in its lower extremity for the appearance of a portion of the identifying member 38'. These members, when disposed in the cavity with an identifying member 33, will leave portions of contrasting or similar colors which may be readily observed as diifering from the pieshaped portions illustrated in Fig. 5. Furthermore, two. identifying members of selected colors and having right and left hand projecting portions conforming respectively to the projecting portions of the member 40, may be used together or singly with the member 38.

To assemble one of the badges, the photograph I of the person who is to be identified is selected and with this photograph suitable information may be given regarding the work area of the employee, the hours in which the employee is to be allowed in the given work area and other the aid of the tab 3| and an aperture 36 and its single recess 26.

When these members and photograph are disposed in the cavity 20 of the apparatus, the latter may be moved into association with the stapling device, as illustrated in Fig. 2, at which time the device may be actuated to cause a staple 45 to secure the identifying members together as illustrated in Fig. 7. The staple 45 passes through all portions of this assembly, and is disposed at a position where it will not be apparent when in a frame 41.

In the present embodiment the frame is of a contour as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, to receive the assembly illustrated in Fig. '1, an opening 48 being provided for the clear observation of the identifying members and photograph. If desired, a transparent sheet of material may be interposed between the assembly shown in Fig. '1 and the retainin portion of the frame to seal the assembly against being damaged. The outer edge 49 of the frame 41 may be bent to secure the assembly therein and to secure also a plate 50 which covers the back of the assembly and supports a retaining pin 5|. Due to the difficulty of showing the individual members of the assembly (Fig. 7) in Fig. 9, the assembly has been privileges to which he is entitled. With this information, the identifying members may be assembled in their proper order in the cavity or identifying members can only be assembled in the cavity in their proper positions. All identifying members are further aided in assembly by v being kept in line by the walls of the cavity, the photograph, however, being located through shown as one part and cross-hatched accordingly.

Thus through the aid of the apparatus, various identifying members may be assembled, only in accurate relative positions, the photograph serving also as an identifying member, which members may be secured together while held in their relative positions to form an assembly which is subsequently mounted in a retaining frame. Thus through the aid of the apparatus, identifying badges may be readily assembled and, when worn, identify the wearer at a glance through the aid of his photograph and the other identifying members, the hours he is entitled to be present, the work area in which he is to be located and other privileges which he has been granted. With this means aperson wearing a badge to which he is not entitled, or one with identifying means foreign to the work area in which he may be present, or at a different time than indicated, may be readily observed.

Although specific improvements of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood that they are but illustrative and that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for forming identifying badges with identifying members of differing peing members in the nest only in a given manner.

2. An apparatus for forming identifying badges with identifying members of differing peripheral contours, in combination with a device for securing any selected number of the members together, the apparatus comprising a body having a nest therein to receive a selected number of the identifying members, portions adapted to cause location of the identifying members in the nest only in a, given manner, and members adapted to locate the nest relative to the securing device for the securing of the identifying members together thereby.

' 3. An apparatus for forming identifying badges with identifying members of differing peripheral contours, in combination with a device for securingany selected number of the members together, the apparatus comprising a body having a nest therein to receive aselected number of the identifying members, portions adapted to cause location of the identifying members in the nest only in a given manner, and members to support the body and to cooperate with the securing device to guide the body relative to the securing device to position the identifying members in positions to be secured together.

4 An apparatus for forming identifying badges with identifying members of differing peripheral contours, in combination with a device for securing any selected number of the members together, the apparatus comprising a body having a nest therein to receive a selected number of the identifying members, portions adapted to cause location of the identifying members in the nest only in a given manner, and members adapted to support the body and cooperate with the securing device to guide the body in movement relative to the securing device and locate the nest'with the identifying members relative to the securing device.

5. An apparatus for forming identifying badges with identifying members of differing peripheral contours and like locating portions, in combination with a securing device, the apparatus comprising a body having a nest therein to receiv a selected number of the identifying members, and 7 portions adapted for interengagement with the said locating portions to cause location of the identifying members in the nest in only a given manner.

6. An apparatus for forming identifying badges with identifying members of differing peripheral contours and like locating portions, in combination with a securing device, the apparatus comprising a body having a nest therein to receive a selected number of the identifying members and a cutaway portion of the nest to receive portions of the securing device, and portions adapted for interengagement with the said locating portions to cause location of the identifying members in the nest in only a given manner.

'1 EDWIN B. GAGE. 

